summary
- The voice actor for Aloy of Horizon Zero Dawn has issued a statement about her character’s recent AI bot.
- AI characters may model voice actors without their consent.
- SAG-AFTRA claims that when developing AI, explicit rules must be followed.
Earlier this week, gamers were left uneasy with leaked footage of an AI clone of the hit PlayStation Horizon series character Alloy. This technology was amazing, but most of us were shocked to see such a well-known game studio displaying AI character technology in full.
Ashley Burch, the actress behind Alloy, who is still on strike at Sag-AFTRA, has given Instagram a touching heart about the AI clone/strike situation.
To be fair, this technology appears to be a small technical demonstration, and there is no evidence that the software will be used in future projects. Still, considering the big situation regarding AI implementations, particularly focused on actors, it was a surprise to see such a clunky look.
Around the same time that this demonstration was leaked, SAG-AFTRA has issued a statement regarding the current acting strike against the gaming company. The statement highlighted points such as “many ‘surprising loopholes’ that will allow members to become vulnerable to AI abuse.
Has the conversation about AI’s behavior in the game moved away from whether this actually happens, how quickly it starts? Companies like Nvidia are showing these prominently ai cat model From a game perspective, it seems like it’s just a matter of time.
However, the AI model’s move to a broader gaming marketplace is something Burch “is worried about this art form.” She is not fighting the changing tide suddenly, but she and Sag-Aftra are trying to reduce the damage that can be caused by video game actors.
I’m seeking protection. So what we’re fighting for now is that we have to get consent before we can create an AI version in any way. You must compensate us fairly and tell us how you use this AI double.
The clear consent rules in the AI model are one of the most obvious ways that businesses and actors can work with this new technology. With these rules implemented, the actor hopes that the gaming company will be compensated for the work that benefits.
These rules don’t focus on gaming companies stopping implementation of AI, but at the very least they can stop them from utterly abusering performers for their work.
The dangerous way AI is abused against actors
The key point is that Ashley Burch’s performance did not train recent leaked footage of Ai Aloy. If you catch footage before being scrubbed from the internet, you will know that the bot itself does little to reflect Birch’s Alloy’s performance.
However, as Burch points out in their post, the potential abuse comes from AI models trained after the actor/actress without explicit consent.
Not because technology exists, I’m worried… If you have a video like this with someone’s performance attached, someone’s voice, face and movement, and you lose this fight, you may not rely on that person.
If AI implementations are expected to become slowly and normative features within the game, it is clear that these systems can potentially be used to misuse and exploit voice actors.
And throughout the AI debate, companies have been placed under deep controversy as they could potentially train AI models.
Hopefully, the current strike at SAG-AFTRA will meet these precautions and continue to receive compensation for the incredible roles that the talented voice actors portray in our favorite games.
